Diaries at the ready: Samuel West lined up to star in Beckett play... in 2036

When it comes to forward planning, a new arts festival is going well beyond normal expectations.The organisers of the Beckett Biennale, which from next year will celebrate the great Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, are this weekend naming the actor who is signed up to star in a 2036 production of Krapp’s Last Tape at their sixth festival. And, in a unique coup de théâtre, Samuel West will be giving a performance that he has already partially recorded: in fact, he did it 19 years ago.Beckett’s daring short play, one of his most popular works after Waiting for Godot, revolves around the thoughts of Krapp, who at 69 listens to a recording made by his younger self back on his 39th birthday. Writing in 1958, Beckett gave most of the dialogue to this disembodied voice from the past

Artists decry ‘irresponsible’ plans to demolish brutalist Midlands tower

Artists and conservation groups have decried the “irresponsible” plan to tear down a brutalist arts tower at a Midlands university, saying the proposed redevelopment is overlooking the “massive historical significance” of the structure.The University of Wolverhampton has earmarked the nine-storey School of Art, which is also known as the George Wallis building, for demolition as part of a “radical” expansion proposal. But it has faced opposition from the Twentieth Century Society, which has submitted a listing application to Historic England that could prevent its destruction.Built between 1966 and 1970 and designed by Diamond, Redfern & Partners, the building sits beside Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium and is one of a small number of brutalist buildings of its type that remain in good condition.“This is an excellent surviving example of a postwar art school that has remained in its original use and survives in very good condition, and is loved by both staff and students,” a Twentieth Century Society spokesperson said

‘I’m in my early 20s most of the time… totally up for it!’: Tamsin Greig on ageing, caring and learning bass guitar

The stage and screen actor on her two, vastly different new roles – with Celia Imrie in a radical play about a woman caring for her mother after a stroke, and in a Sally Wainwright TV drama about five women who form a punk bandNot many interviews begin with your subject telling you, gently and warmly, how they’ve mastered being unapproachable. But here is Tamsin Greig, on Zoom in the Donmar Warehouse’s rehearsal rooms, telling me how this behaviour begins as soon as she’s left the house every morning.“I get up at 6.30 to walk the dog so that I can get out and be in the air to start turning my words over in my head. People who see me know not to come near me because I’m always muttering to myself

Come early, leave early: a gen X dance party that ends at 10pm is taking off across the US

Founded in Chicago by two friends in their 40s, Earlybirds Club gives people an opportunity to let loose without interfering with responsibilitiesThe signature tequila cocktail is called a Hot Flash. The playlist skews towards nostalgic hits from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Cis men are politely asked to just stay away.Founded in Chicago by two friends in their 40s, the Earlybirds Club is a party designed for women and trans and non-binary people who have jobs and responsibilities that start early in the morning – but who still want a chance to dance crazily with their friends.The dancing starts at 6pm and ends around 10

‘It’s a gut punch’: how the California wildfires affected film and TV workers

When Sandra French returned to her beloved 1930s apartment, she found the building reduced to rubble and ash. “It was so weird,” she recalls. “Out of the rubble, there was a little bright object. It was a pencil holder I bought in Italy, I believe, in 2008 and was sticking up in the air. That was the only thing that survived the fire

Why are ‘friendly neighbourhood cats’ appearing on Google Maps all of a sudden?

Sanjana, I hear all the cool kids are going to a new Sydney landmark called “friendly orange cat”. What is this new kitty club and how do I get in?That’s right, Emma. Locals are putting friendly felines on the map, literally. They’re listing good-natured suburban cats as tourist attractions on Google Maps, with photos, ideal viewing times and reviews, so others can find these adorable furry friends too.There is no shortage of interest either, with locals making the trek to see these “hidden gems”